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Episode:The Return of the Beast, Part Two
| image = The Return of the Beast Part Two.jpg | date = September 15, 1996 | sn_num = 2 of 13 | ep_num = 2 of 21 | writer = Bob Forward | director = Leo Sullivan | guest = | prev = The Return of the Beast, Part One | next = Raw Power }} With Hulk on a rampage, General Ross brings his full military might down on the gamma-powered giant. Betty Ross and Rick Jones make an attempt to save him, and stumble upon a group of fierce mutated animals. Things only become worse when Leader captures Bruce Banner for his plan to take Hulk's power for himself. Story Following the previous episode... Hulk stands among the flaming ruins of Gamma Base. General Ross looks on holding the Omega Laser. Major Talbot holds back Betty Ross. Hulk stares down Ross as he readies the laser. Betty finally breaks free of Glenn catching Hulk's attention. Ross says he doesn't know where the other "green mistake" went but notes that Hulk isn't going anywhere. He readies the smoking weapon. Hulk glares back at him. Betty steps forward begging Hulk not to do this. She asks that he calm down and let the anger go that it's not worth it. Hulk reacts to her voice and calls out her name. She calls out to Bruce but is pulled back by Glenn. He asks if she is out of her mind and to stay away from him. She tells him not to do this. Hulk calls out her name and steps forward, throwing some debris out of his way. Ross aims the laser telling him he's stepping in the wrong direction. Ross fires the laser hitting Hulk square in the chest. Hulk flies back into a tank and falls to the ground. The smoke clears and he sits against the tank, his head down. Ross looks worried and readies the laser again. Hulk shakes his head and stands up. He growls and Ross fires again once more hitting him. Hulk flies through the tank, which explodes, and into a wall. The smoke clears and Hulk stands. Ross fires once more and again hits Hulk. The blast causes more explosions filling the area with smoke. Suddenly the weapon becomes too hot and Ross is forced to let go of the trigger. He looks down at his burnt hand and drops the weapon. He begins walking towards Hulk. Betty sees him go and elbows Glenn in the stomach, telling him to back off. She runs after her father. Hulk lays on his back atop smoking debris. Soldiers with rifles surround him. Betty is shocked and puts her face in her hands. Ross becomes excited. Suddenly, Hulk's eyes shoot open. The soldiers slowly approach as an enormous shadow passes over them. Hulk stomps his foot down and they flee. Hulk stomps after them threatening to destroy them. Ross calls out to Talbot and buttons his shirt. Talbot picks up a radio and tells someone on the other line that it's "hammer time." Betty looks at the major becoming worried. Elsewhere, a soldier at a cannon relays the order. The cannon fires a massive blast. The shell hits Hulk in a massive blast. Attack helicopters fly towards the smoke. The cannon blast causes a large crater with flames and smoke billowing high in the air. Tanks and soldiers surround the hole. As the smoke clears, Hulk is still standing and growls. Betty tells him to run as helicopters fly overhead. Hulk looks around and sees helicopters on all sides. He looks up to see Glenn ordering them to attack. Hulk sees the numbers he is up against when the helicopters all fire missiles down on him. He punches two away but more land all around him. Betty cries out to not worry about her but to just go. Hulk begins walking towards her but the missiles keep coming. Hulk runs and leaps away. Betty watches him go when Glenn grabs her. He demands to know why she keeps helping Hulk, claiming she knows Hulk is no longer Bruce Banner but a monster. She shakes his arms off her and crosses hers. Glenn continues that Hulk is just a beast who would kill her. Betty retorts that he would not. She turns to him saying that she never attacked him and walks away. As the battle moves on, the helicopters fire their miniguns. Hulk lands as they pelt the ground around him. The guns continue firing, their casings raining to the ground, but the bullets hit him doing no damage at all. He turns towards the attack helicopters and roars. He leaps into the air landing on a helicopter. Hulk rips off the rotor saying he is going to "take" their toys. The pilot ejects as his craft crashes. Hulk lands with the craft with an enormous thud. He lifts the remainder of the helicopter and throws it into the air. It then crashes through two helicopters destroying them both. The helicopters fly away and Hulk leaps after them, the sun beginning to set. He lands on one and tears off the tail. As it flies out of control he throws it at another helicopter destroying it. Just then, more missiles come in hitting him. They cause him to fly back through the air. Hulk screams as he falls into a canyon. One pilot issues orders to the others. They turn on their searchlights and begins scouring the area. The sun goes down and they lose visual contact with Hulk. The head pilot orders them to spread out. As they fly overhead, large creatures emerge and look around. In the canyon, Hulk lies in a large crater. He turns over as a creature lands on a nearby rock. He rubs his head when he hears rattling nearby. Hulk looks up just as something moves behind a rock. He hears noises elsewhere and sees large creatures surrounding him. Hulk looks around as they approach him from behind. He stands and growls at them. Just then, a light shines in his face as the helicopters spot him. The pilots announce they reacquired the target and to open fire. The creatures flee. Lasers pelt Hulk but do no damage and he stands his ground. One pilot targets him in his sights. Just then, the creatures leap up and attack the helicopters. The pilot targeting Hulk looks to see a bat-creature landing on his canopy. He flies out of control. Another creature rips apart one helicopter. Hulk looks up wondering if they are his friends. He sees a snake-creature wrapping itself around a helicopter tail. The bat-creature lets go of its helicopter as it crashes down, its pilot ejecting, and confronts another. They stare off until Hulk leaps up destroying it. One pilot stands on the canyon floor as another parachutes nearby. Just then Hulk lands and stands to growl at the remaining helicopters. The two pilots grab onto ropes and are pulled up. They ride the ropes as the helicopters flee. The creatures begin letting go. The lead pilot claims there are too many of the things and they should get out while they still can. Hulk watches the attack squadron go out of sight as a wolf-creature leaps down the canyon walls. He turns to see the creatures around him and the bat-creature lands. Hulk asks if they are helping him. They all begin walking away. A bug-creature looks at him as if saying to follow and leads Hulk down the canyon. Leader's mechanical fly buzzes nearby, but is stomped on by Hulk. He looks down grinding it into the dirt, calling it a stupid bug. Back at Gamma Base, Glenn informs Ross that the attack squadron broke off pursuit of Hulk and that there were no casualties. Ross is furious and notes they had direct orders. Glenn explains that there was addition resistance from strange creatures. As a medic wraps up Ross's burnt hands, he shakes them in rage hurting himself. He stands noting that Hulk is still out there alive. Just then, Betty walks in. She is excited to hear Bruce is alright. Glenn apologizes to Ross. Ross walks over to the hole in the experiment room wall saying he will be even more sorry. He claims Bruce's experiment was fake and that the scientist has had his last chance with him. He tells Glenn that Hulk is the number one greatest threat to national security. He notes that Hulk destroyed his base and almost cost him a star. Betty looks on from the doorway then turns and leaves. Another of Leader's bugs looks on. It then moves back towards the general. Ross continues to say that he will have his payback. He claims that he will have another star if he has to cut it out from Hulk's "ugly green hide. Watching through his bug camera, Leader notes how interesting it is that Hulk still lives and was saved by some unknown allies. Gargoyle works on his own console. Leader then calls out to him to replay the field surveillance footage. Gargoyle complies and pulls up the footage just before the bug was squashed. Leader watches the footage rewind until the creatures appear. He claims he long suspected the existence of such creatures. He stands and explains they are gamma-mutated desert creatures made from the same blast that formed Hulk. He sits back down saying how the lowly beings were delightfully aggressive and organized. He presses a button on his arm rest and calls out to Abomination. The gamma-creature roars in his electrified cell. It powers down and he walks out. He orders Abomination to find the "freaks" as if he finds the creatures he will find Hulk. He notes that without the tinkertoy Omega Laser there is nothing to stop him from getting Hulk. Leader stands and declares "So says the Leader." Gargoyle mocks him by choking himself on those same words. Abomination turns, growls, and walks away as the device on the back of his head blinks. Elsewhere, a HUMVEE driving through the desert slows while breaking down. Betty begs it not to. When it comes to a stop she pounds on the steering wheel saying how typical it is. She gets out of the car, her boot just missing squashing a scorpion thanks to her heel. As she moves around to the back, she berates herself for taking a vehicle with only half a tank. She opens the back and takes out a gas can. She shakes it and realizes it's empty. She tosses it into the air and Rick Jones on his motorcyle catches it out of the air. She turns and sees him land nearby kicking up dirt. She shields her face as he comes to a stop. He stops and sets down the can. He takes off his helmet asking if she needs a lift. She realizes who it is and hugs him asking where he came from. She lets go and he explains he saw her from a ridge and has been going full throttle to catch up to her ever since she called about Bruce. Betty looks sad and Rick realizes something happened. He asks if things "went lame." She explains that a huge scaly "freak" sabotaged the experiment making Bruce mad, and everyone knows what happens when Bruce gets mad. She walks past him and he notes that he Hulked out. She grabs the can and fills it up by siphoning gas from his motorcycle. Betty goes on to say that it was chaos with everyone shooting up everything. She stops and takes the can to the HUMVEE. Rick takes off the gas cap asking about her father. She starts pouring it in saying the general was front and center with a "green gleam" in his eye. Betty claims all Bruce wants is to be cured. Behind her, a pile of dirt begins shifting. The scorpion walks over to her leg and begins pulling on her heel. She continues on to say that Gamma Base is destroyed. Just then, an enormous pincer rises out of the dirt and she screams. Rick sees the thing grabbing her leg and he reaches into the vehicle to grab the club from inside. He runs forward to smash the pincer but an enormous tail rises out of the dirt. The point extends forward and Rick tries to wave it off. It shoots out acid and Rick drops it. The club falls to the dirt engulfed in flames. Another pincer grabs Rick and he looks down to see the six-eyed face of the creature. It raises both humans in the air and they scream. The gamma-mutated creatures swarm over the HUMVEE. Later at the Pentagon, Ross gives his report to a room of officers via video transmission. He stands amongst the ruins of Gamma Base showing them the devastation. He explains that Hulk's strength increases with his anger, the madder he becomes the more dangerous he is. One general looks around at his comrades. Ross continues to explain that all the resources of the base, even the experimental Omega Laser, were insufficient to contain Hulk. A soldier stands next to Ross to show them then lowers it. Another general writes down notes. Ross claims only an elite unit of highly trained, heavily armored battle personnel and mechanoids can deal with Hulk. He activates a remote to show Hulk attacking a helicopter, tearing off the tail, and throwing it at another. Ross claims the new squad would need strategies to stay ahead of Bruce to defeat and contain Hulk. The generals all murmur to themselves. They look at a picture of Hulk scowling and growling. It fades to Ross who asks them about their decision. A three-star general stands and tells Ross that he has his Hulkbusters. Back in the desert, the gas can and motorcycle lay in the dirt while car tracks lead off. In a nearby cave, the HUMVEE sits at the entrance. A lizard-creature pops its head up and begins running around the vehicle. It goes to the hood the underneath where it pops its head out then back under. It pops out from behind and climbs into the back. A shadow moves across the cave entrance. The creature comes out with a pair of pliers. It holds the tools up when an enormous hand grabs it. Abomination brings the creature to his face and growls. Inside a cave, Rick and Betty are thrown to the ground. They look up to see the scorpion-creature approaching. It stands and Bruce, his chest wrapped in bandages, walks up telling "Scorps" to take it easy. As the creature walks away, he explains that they are not gamma mutants like they are and not as tough. It walks over to several other creatures around the cave. Betty stands and hugs him realizing he is alright. He cries out in pain when she squeezes him. She lets go and he says he is not the Man of Steel. He notes that he is still sore and asks if Ross got to try out the Omega Laser on Hulk. She says her father did until it got too hot to handle. Rick noting he did not get a hug but instead asks for a hand shake. Bruce agrees calling him a rebel without a cause. Rick says he does have a cause, him. Rick then asks about the "fan club." Bruce explains that he wasn't the only living thing out in the desert when the gamma reactor blew up. He flashes back to just before the explosion when he picked Rick up from the desert and ran back to the bunker. Rick knocked his hand away. Next he remembers when it went off and the wave of gamma radiation came towards him. He was bombarded with the radiation that tore apart his clothes. At the same time, a scorpion, rattlesnake, and vulture where also bombarded with radiation. Bruce explains they too were mutated, made bigger and incredibly powerful. The scorpion grew to gigantic proportions. The snake also grew in size and formed arms. A lizard grew in size and began standing upright. Bruce explains that they grew in intelligence enough to know they did not fit in anywhere except with each other. They creatures formed a group and wandered the desert alone as Outcasts. Bruce leans on one petting it saying that they reached out to him cause he is like them. Betty goes to Bruce. He says it's funny that in all the years he's been in pain because of Hulk, he finally found acceptance among these abnormal creatures. They look around at the Outcasts. Suddenly, the rattlesnake shakes its rattle. They turn to see the lizard-creature thrown among them and landing near Rick. They look up and see the huge form of Abomination in the entrance. He roars and punches the side of the cave. The roof begins to cave in and stalactites come down. Rubble falls all around and Rick shields himself. The creatures have no where to run. Betty screams as the snake moves between her and Abomination. She cries out that it's "that thing" again. Bruce cries out in anger and his eyes begin to glow. However, a rock hits him on the head and he falls to the ground. Abomination walks over to the scientist and picks Bruce up. Abomination walks out as dust blocks the light of day from outside. It clears and the opening is full of rocks. Later, the scorpion rises out of a pile of rocks. Rick says he cannot breathe. He stands thanking the creature for meaning well but notes it is heavy. He calls out to Betty asking if she is okay. The snake uncoils itself and Betty stands. She jokes that she was wrapped up. She then looks around and is shocked to see that Abomination took Bruce. She jumps out of the snake's coil in order to find him. They run to the entrance to see the Outcasts trying to claw their way through the rubble. They each pick up a rock and move it aside. Rick knows they need to find blue skies first. Elsewhere, Bruce is behind some glass while Gargoyle taps on it trying to get his attention. He activates a remote that lifts the glass up and Bruce wakes. He is shocked to see the tiny deformed man walking towards him. Gargoyle tells him to be quick as he knows what he wants. He asks Bruce about his resurgent gamma mutation. Gargoyle appeals to him as a compassionate scientist to help him return to normal. However, Bruce begins falling asleep and Gargoyle slaps him telling him to pay attention. He says that when Leader is finished with him he demands that Bruce help him. He is interrupted by Leader calling out to him. He turns to see Leader walking up and sitting in his chair. Leader berates him saying it is not the time to pursue his quest for normalcy. Leader inserts a device into his gauntlet. He claims that his minion is a gargoyle and will remain that way unless he does as he is ordered. Gargoyle grits his teeth and agrees. Leader responds by calling him a troll while inserting another device into his other gauntlet. Leader then asks that whenever the mood strikes him Bruce should transforms into Hulk. He holds up the cables he put in saying that the energy siphon will deliver the gamma energies directly into him. Bruce looks on the floor to see the cabling running across the room. Leader goes on to say that he will become empowered while Bruce becomes a lifeless husk. Gargoyle walks up shocked at the revelation. He says this was not part of their bargain and calls Leader a "traitorous fathead." He reminds him that Bruce was to remain alive long enough to change him back. He is suddenly fired upon with an energy beam. He falls back as his shoulder smokes. Leader holds up a smoking pistol saying he lied. He looks back to Bruce telling him to "rage on." Bruce smiles saying he feels relaxed and mellow. He calls them clowns putting on a good show. Gargoyle stands rubbing his injured shoulder. Leader becomes enrage calling him an insolent worm. Bruce continues by commenting on how nice a place they have and asking if they did it themselves. Leader steeples his fingers saying how droll and unamusing this is. He then orders Gargoyle to provoke the smug Bruce into anger and "raise a little Hulk." Gargoyle laughs in agreement, and under his breath calls him a dictator. Gargoyle activates a remote and Bruce is shocked. He grits his teeth in pain. Leader teases him about the pain and that he looks sick. The shocks stop and Bruce struggles to keep himself in check. Leader wonders if he can hold on sarcastically calling him noble. He then orders Gargoyle to try again. He watches as Bruce is once again shocked and laughs. Back in the desert canyon, the rubble blocking the cave begins moving out. A hole opens up and a creature peaks out before moving aside. Rick looks out and becomes excited. He tells Scorps to do his thing. The scorpion's tail pops out the hole and knocks away the rubble clearing the way. With the cave open again, the Outcasts and humans walks out. Rick asks if there are any signs of Hulk. Betty replies there is not. Suddenly she sees large footprints. A rat-creature sniffs the footprint and leaps off after the trail. Rick is excited to be on Abomination's trail. Betty and Rick run to the HUMVEE followed by the remaining Outcasts. Back at Leader's lair, Bruce is continuing to be shocked. It stops and he begins sweating. Leader waves the pistol about noting he has not yet reached his "boiling point." He orders Gargoyle to do it again. Gargoyle mutters that he has reached his boiling point but proceeds. Bruce is again shocked and his eyes begin glowing. He tries to stop his transformation. Just then, the HUMVEE barrels through the door. Rick, behind the wheel, cries out that help has arrived. Leader activates his console ordering his battle drones to retaliate. A door opens and many rolling and flying drones pour out. They enter the room and begin firing on the HUMVEE. Betty and Rick leap out as the windshield cracks and the vehicle explodes. Bruce turns to see the car blowing up and cries out. Leader smiles hoping that Bruce will finally let his temper flare. Suddenly, the Outcasts pour into the base. A wolf-creature leaps onto a drone destroying it. The bat picks up a console and throws it into another drone. Scorps throws one drone destroying it, pinches one in half, and smacks another with its tail. The snake extends upwards destroying several fliers. Gargoyle runs over to a console and lifts off a panel. He jokes that it would be a shame if the data banks inside were damaged. He starts pulling them out laughing. A flier buzzes overhead shooting at Rick, who dodges the attacks. He leaps back as another flyer approaches from behind. It is about to hit him when Scorps crushes it. Rick salutes it and it walks away. Betty breaks off a bar and runs to Bruce's chamber. She starts hitting it but is not strong enough to break it. Leader watches her noting she will not succeed then activates a button on his console. The electricity containing Abomination powers down and he steps out roaring. Two bug-creatures approach him and he smacks them down. Betty continues hammering the glass container when a flier comes close. She swings at it but misses. It then forces her back to a rolling drone. Betty watches as the snake wraps around the rolling drone crushing it. Gargoyle continues emptying the data banks when he is shot in the back. He accidentally throws them up in the air and they come down on his head. Bruce continues to cry out in pain as the electricity courses through his body. Suddenly he transforms and his expanding body shatters the shackles. Hulk opens his eyes and roars. Leader grows wide-eyed when the gamma siphon starts. He watches Hulk in the cage and pulls a lever. Power surges from the cell to Leader's chair. Leader cries out as the energies through him. Hulk begins growing smaller and weaker. Leader's head expands and he stands. His armor shatters as his body expands. He exclaims that this is more power than he dreamed. Betty continues hammering on the glass. She calls out to Hulk not to give up. However, Abomination approaches her from behind. She turns and screams. He steps forward and smacks her back. Hulk can only look on as it happens. Abomination approaches Betty and Rick leaps onto his back. Abomination swings around and knocks Rick into a wall. He falls to the ground and slumps down. Abomination picks the boy up. A six-legged pig-creature with large tusks bashes a computer console pushing it through a drone destroying it. Meanwhile, Gargoyle dodges gunfire but trips dropping the data banks. Carrying Rick, Abomination stomps towards the fallen Betty. Hulk watches from his cell. Betty backs up as Abomination reaches down for her. Hulk looks even worse as he loses energy. However, he cries out and shakes his fists. Leader watches from above. Suddenly, the consoles begin exploding. The shirtless Leader cries out in pain. Hulk, nearly back to his usual self, begins pounding on the cell. Leader continues yelling and his body shrinks back to normal. Hulk continues pounding on the glass. In the cables attaching to his cell, power feeds back to Hulk. He yells out in anger. The glass begins cracking. Leader, now back to his usual self though without hair, cries out. Hulk shatters the glass. Leader withers in pain. Abomination towers over Betty and she shrinks away. He is suddenly punched by Hulk who begins pounding him further saying he will smash and bash. Abomination drops Rick who runs away. The snake smacks a flier into another and they are both destroyed. Abomination seems powerless as Hulk pounds him, ordering him to "eat green." The rat chews off a drone's arm and it sparks as it falls apart. Hulk pounds Abomination across the face. The snake's tail destroys another drone. Hulk finally punches Abomination sending him flying back. The villain lands on a console destroying it becoming engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, Gargoyle runs down the hall carrying the data banks. He says that Leader has given his last command since he has the data banks and all his knowledge. He runs out of sight saying "So says the Gargoyle" and laughing. Back at the battle, Hulk picks up a console and smashes it to the ground. The room is engulfed in flames. The Outcasts scurry out of the room back into the desert. Hulk punches a console. Leader crawls along the ruined floor. He says he was so close. He reaches out. Hulk grabs Betty and Rick and runs out. The room explodes around Leader. As the sun sets, the explosions can be seen for miles. Smoke billows into the sky. On a far off ledge, Hulk lands to set Rick and Betty down. The Outcasts surround them and Rick congratulates Hulk. Suddenly, Hulk turns to see four helicopters approaching. The Outcasts scatter into the nearby woods. The snake turns and sees Betty waving good bye and thanking them. It turns back and follows the Outcasts into the forest. Rick says they are not much to look at. Hulk calls them friends. Betty takes Hulk's hand asking him to stay. She claims they can make it work out, tears stream down her face. Hulk looks sad and takes her hands in his. He then turns back to the helicopters, now closer. Hulk claims he is sad and must go. He starts to walk away when Betty stops him asking him to wait. She tells him to be careful and kisses him on the cheek. He smiles. Rick looks up at the jade giant and Hulk apologizes as he leaves. Betty calls out to Hulk and Bruce saying she will find a cure for him. She promises. They watch him leap up into the air. Rick says for him to be tough and he will follow right behind. They turn to see Ross pull up in a Jeep. Ross stands watching Hulk leap away. He shakes his fist noting that Hulk's day of reckoning will come and that it is destiny. Hulk runs across the desert, the setting sun behind him. Quotes "I don't know where that other big green mistake went, but you're not going anywhere." :-'Thaddeus Ross' "Hulk, don't do this. Calm down. Let the anger go. It's no worth it." "Betty..." :-'Betty Ross' and Hulk "That's a big step in the wrong direction, pal." :-'Thaddeus Ross' "Back off, Major." :-'Betty Ross' "HULK DESTROY!" :-'Hulk' "Okay boys. It's hammer time." :-'Glenn Talbot' "Betty, why do you always ''help him? You know that's not Banner anymore. It's a monster. A beast that would just as soon destroy you as look at you." "''No he wouldn't. Because I've never attacked him." :-'Glenn Talbot' and Betty Ross "Hulk take toys!" :-'Hulk' "Eat green!" :-'Hulk', recurring line "We have lost visual contact with the target. All units, spread out." :-'Helicopter Pilot' "Friends?" :-'Hulk' "Help Hulk?" :-'Hulk' "You mean to say that the Hulk is still out there somewhere alive!?" "Yes! Way to go, Bruce." :-'Thaddeus Ross' and Betty Ross "I'm sorry, sir." "Not half as sorry as I'll be, Major. Experiment? Bull. Banner has had his last chance from me. The Hulk is ''the number one threat to national security. He crushed by base and he almost cost me a star. I tell you this, Major Talbot, I will have my payback. And I'll have it even if it means cutting off my star out of the Hulk's ugly green hide." :-'''Glenn Talbot' and Thaddeus Ross "Creatures I've long expected the existence of. Obviously, gamma-mutated desert lifeforms doubtlessly created by the same blast that spawned the Hulk. Who would've thought such lowly beings could be so...delightfully aggressive. And organized." :-'Leader' "Abomination. Go. Track down those ''freaks. Luck be the case, that when you have found them you will have found the Hulk. And this time, no tinkertoy Omega Laser shall impede my desires to snatch the Hulk's mutant power for myself. SO...SAYS...THE LEADER!" :-'''Leader' "Oh, come on. Come on!" [Truck breaks down] "Typical. Just typical. Smooth one, Elizabeth. Swiping a rig with only half a tank." :-'Betty Ross' "Hey, pretty lady. Need a lift?" :-'Rick Jones' "Oh, man. It went lame, didn't it?" "Some huge scaly ''freak sabotaged Bruce's experiment, and then Bruce got mad and...Well...We all know what happens when Bruce gets mad." "''Hulked out, huh?" "It was major chaos after that. Everybody was shooting up everything everywhere." :-'Rick Jones' and Betty Ross "All Bruce's ever wanted is to be cured." :-'Betty Ross' "That's the whole blame report. Sirs. As you can see, the Hulk's power simply increases with his rage. The madder he gets the more dangerous he becomes. All the most advanced resources of this base, even our latest model of the experimental Omega Laser, were insufficient to contain him. Only an elite unit of highly trained, heavily armored battle personnel and mechanoids with strategies to stay one step ahead of Banner will have any chance of defeating and containing this." :-'Thaddeus Ross' "General Ross, you've got your Hulkbusters." :-'General' "Bruce! You're alright!" "Ow! Oh! Ow! Easy. Man of Steel, I am not. Ow. Still sore." :-'Betty Ross' and Bruce Banner "No hugs? How about a shake, old man?" "Anytime, Rebel Without a Cause." "Oh I got cause, buddy. You." :-'Rick Jones' and Bruce Banner "Where'd you pick up the bug-eyed fan club, Trekker convention?" :-'Rick Jones' "Actually, I...It seems I wasn't the only out in the desert when that gamma reactor blew. In that blast, these creatures became gamma mutants as well. Bigger, incredibly powerful. Just smart enough to know they didn't fit in anywhere, except with one another. They're outcasts." :-'Bruce Banner' "It's funny. After all these years of all the pain, I find comfort and acceptance only with ''these abnormal creatures." :-'''Bruce Banner' "Psst! Psst! Wake up. Quickly, you know what I want. Where is your resurgent gamma mutation? As a compassionate scientist, surely you can find it within yourself to help me return to normal. Please." :-'Gargoyle' "Gargoyle! Now is not the time to pursue your pathetic quest for normalcy. A gargoyle you are and a gargoyle you shall remain unless you do ''commanded!" "''Yes, my leader." "You insidious troll." :-'Leader' and Gargoyle "Lifeless husk!? That is not our bargain, you traitorous fathead. You promised me Banner would remain alive long enough to change me back..." "I lied." :-'Gargoyle' and Leader "Now, as I was saying, doctor. Rage on." "Well actually, I'm feeling pretty relaxed and mellow right now. You clowns put on a good show." "You! Insolent! Little! Worm!" "Say, nice place. Do it yourself?" "How droll and characteristically unamusing." :-'Leader' and Bruce Banner "Painfully irritating, wouldn't you say? Getting a big ''green around the gills, yes?" :-'''Leader' "Hang on, doc. Here comes the cavalry!" :-'Rick Jones' "That's right, Banner. Lose control. Let's see that temper flare bright green!" :-'Leader' "It's incredible! More power than I dared dream!" :-'Leader' "HULK SMASH! HULK BACK! EAT...GREEN!" :-'Hulk' "Oh, you've spat your last command, Leader. You're ''precious knowledge is now mine. So says the Gargoyle." :-'''Gargoyle' "No. I was so close. No! NO! NOOOOOOO!" :-'Leader' "Not much to look at but they're...uh..." "Friend." :-'Rick Jones' and Hulk "Hulk, stay? We can make it all work out." :-'Betty Ross' "Hulk sad. Hulk go." "No. Wait. Be careful. Hulk." "Hulk sorry." "Hulk...Bruce...We'll find that cure for you. I promise." :-'Hulk' and Betty Ross "Your day of reckoning will come, Hulk. A day of destiny." :-'Thaddeus Ross' Trivia *Ross is a three star general specifically making him a lieutenant general. Traditionally, lieutenant generals command forces of twenty thousand to forty-five thousand soldiers and serve as high-level staff officers at various major command headquarters and the Pentagon, often as the heads of their departments. *Glenn Talbot says "It's hammer time," a reference to the song ''U Can't Touch This''. *Hulk seemingly kills in this episode. *A flying creature attacks a helicopter similar to Man-Bat in the ''Batman: The Animated Series'' premiere "On Leather Wings". *Ross calls Bruce's experiment "bull," which is a shortening for the swear word bullshit. *Leader calls Hulk's power mutant in nature. Likely he means abnormal but he could mean mutant. While in the Marvel Comics, non-mutant mutated people are called mutates, it could provide a hint to an in-universe explanation for Hulk's powers and why there are so many variances with gamma-mutated people. *When talking to the Pentagon, a picture of Hulk fades to Ross. In 2008, Ross became a Hulk of his own, Red Hulk, as on and on . *Bruce says he is not the Man of Steel, referring to DC Comics superhero Superman. In the limited series ''DC vs. Marvel'', Hulk fought Superman and their battle was determined by reader votes. Superman won with a single punch, though at the time Bruce was in control during the Professor Hulk phase and not as strong. *Bruce compares Rick to the famous James Dean character in ''Rebel Without a Cause''. *Rick asks if the Outcasts are from a Trekker convention, referring to fans of the franchise ''Star Trek'', though the official term for fans is Trekkie. *Gargoyle describes the data banks as precious, possibly a reference to Middle-earth character Gollum, whom Gargoyle resembles. Coincidentally, actor John Rhys-Davies, who appears as Thor in , played Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series. Goofs *Betty switches between calling Hulk by both his name and as Bruce for no apparent reason. *The third time Ross fires the laser, only the bottom section fires even though all three powered up. *After Hulk scares off the soldiers, they are all standing behind Ross and Talbot. No soldier would allow their superior officer to stand between them and the enemy, certainly not without being reprimanded. *None of the helicopter missiles during the barrage while Hulk punches them away cause any explosions. *When Hulk grabs the first helicopter and the pilot ejects, the canopy is actually duplicated and still attached. *Talbot tells Ross that there were no casualties. However, Hulk causes three helicopters to explode without the pilots seen ejecting at all and they were destroyed much too quickly for the pilots to have escaped unseen. *Leader shouldn't need Ross to tell him that Hulk still lives. Hulk was the one who squashed the bug robot so he should have at least seen the jade giant alive. *Betty takes gas from the motorcycle to put into the HUMVEE. The gas would stretch further in the motorcycle, especially since HUMVEEs are notorious for being gas guzzlers. *It's unknown just how Abomination was able to find the Outcasts so quickly. *When thrown in the cave, Betty is missing her shoes and socks, and they keep disappearing and reappearing between scenes. But it is unknown how she lost her shoes to begin with. *The devices that Leader puts in his gauntlets are far too long. They would pierce his arms and are electronic not medical. *Gargoyle digs his hands vertically into the data banks storage in a space that is far too small for it. *The drones' weapons must be incredibly weak if Gargoyle was shot in the back and all that happened was he was startled. *The energy beam that hits Gargoyle ricochets. Continuity *A narrator recaps the previous episode. This is the only episode that happens. *Immediately follows . *Hulk is knocked back by a powerful laser just as Beast was in the second part of the premiere . *First time Leader says his recurring line "So says the Leader." And the first time Gargoyle makes fun of it. *Betty reveals her full name of Elizabeth. *First use of the phrase "Hulked out." *The Pentagon was seen in the second part of the premiere . *The Hulkbusters are officially formed. They are first seen in the following episode . *The episode features a lizard mutating to stand upright. premiere featured Curt Connors turning into a Lizard walking upright. *Establishes that Bruce has been Hulk for several years. *Abomination next appears in . *Leader and Gargoyle next appear in . *Last time Leader has hair. For the rest of the series, he maintains his bald look. *Betty promises to cure Bruce, which would come to fruition in . Cast : Last time Kevin Schon plays Abomination. Afterwards, the character would be voiced by Richard Moll. The voice actors of narrator and Pentagon generals are uncredited and unknown. Background Director Leo Sullivan was a timing director on the first season. This is his first of only two directing credits for him, and the only for the series. He was also a timing director on the episode , which was a backdoor pilot for this series. The Outcasts only appeared in a single issue, ''The Incredible Hulk'' #329. In the issue, Rick, who is Hulk at the time, goes to Bruce's desert lab and befriends the Outcasts, who can talk and some are formed from vegetation. S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives to capture Rick and injures several of the Outcasts. They make Rick leave knowing S.H.I.E.L.D. will not stop looking for him. In the episode, only the scorpion is given a name: Scorps. In the comics, the rodent is called Eeek, the lizard is a gila monster named Gil, the bat is Kir, the scorpion is Sting, the vulture is Vult, and the rattlesnake is their leader Rattilore. Reception "Stu" of Marvel Animation Age felt it was a poor follow-up to the previous episode. He felt the main problem with the series in general was that Leader was a joke. He claimed the design was terrible and Matt Frewer seemed like he was playing for laughs. He did think the motivation was somewhat entertaining as he wanted to combine his intelligence with Hulk's strength as well as enjoying how the two's origins were tied together. He did enjoy that they brought in Gargoyle for Leader to talk to as well as his motivation to find out why he doesn't transform like Bruce. He loved Mark Hamill's performance as another from a great actor. He did like the idea of the Outsiders knowing it would be logical that animals would also be affected by the reactor explosion, but thought that they came across as a little goofy. He was glad they didn't talk like they did in the comics. "The ending does a pretty good job setting up the rest of the series, with Hulk and Banner now on the run, Rick following, Betty working on a cure and Ross seeking retribution for his destroyed base, but I can't help but feel that the excellent build up in part one wasn't done justice here." The episode has a rating of 8.8 on TV.com and 7.1 on the Internet Movie Database. External Links *Marvel Animation Age *TV.com *Internet Movie Database *Marvel Database *Hulk Wiki Category:The Incredible Hulk Episodes